Youko's Life
by Kenshin Himura
Summary: Just something I thought of... Ever wondered how the infamous Youko Kurama grew up? Here's a story that begins at his birth... (Rated for minor language & alcohol)
1. Birth of a Legend

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
KopyKat: Whee! I just got this rad (excuse lame word) new idea! It's Youko's Life! Don't want to say too much 'cause I'm excited about starting it!

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The day started out dreary, like it had been for the last two days. Rain poured down on the world below, known as Makai, or basically the world of the demons. The smaller demons were grateful for the precipitation for it brought safe haven to them because the larger, more ravenous demons fled to shelter.  
  
On this particular day, in a cave in the southern regions of Makai, a female fox demon was giving birth to a male. Now, fox demons aren't always majestic looking, at least not as kits, or rather 'baby fox demons'. This kit had next to no fur and very little hair, as was expected by newborns of any race (except those that weren't supposed to have hair of course).  
  
The mother looks over at her mate, panting a bit, "Male or female?"  
  
The male fox demon, known as Kuro, picks up the child, "Male." He looks from the baby to her, "Did you want to hold him?"  
  
The female, known as Yura, nods, "As soon as you get him cleaned up and I get myself cleaned up. No sense in holding a bloody child."  
  
The two did as was agreed and the mother took the kit into her arms. She tweaked one of his fox ears, which was covered in 'baby fuzz'. She looks over at Kuro, "What name shall we give to him?"  
  
Kuro shakes his head, "This will require some thought."  
  
Yura smirks playfully, "Don't think too hard. Don't want to strain that brain of yours..."  
  
Kuro returns the smirk, "Ha-ha, very funny. But seriously, what should we name him?"  
  
The two think about this and continued pondering through the next morning, even in their dreams. Late that morning, Kuro's eyes widen when he comes up with a name, "Kurama! We can name him Kurama!"  
  
Yura smiles, "Well, I have to admit that there aren't many demons with that name. Kurama it is then." She looks down at the small child in her arms and tickled one of his ears, "You heard that kid? You are now known as Kurama & may that name be known throughout Makai..." 


	2. Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: Ok now, starting on chapter two. To those of you that are familiar with my other fics, sorry for my delay on "Kurama's Plight," but due to severe writer's block, and busy-ness (and lack of ability to get on THIS computer --), I have not been able to write anymore. I'll try to get back on that one. Anyway, here's chapter two. Hope you enjoy!

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Three years had passed and by this time, Kurama was being taught how to hunt. His skills seemed advanced for someone so young, which promised great things for the future. He caught his first rabbit after only two attempts.  
  
At age 4, he was beginning to hunt bigger game and his father was teaching him how to fight and manipulate plants. Kurama would have to learn how to fight as to survive in this harsh world where even the smallest mistake could cost you your life. To add to this, like most demons, Kuro and Yura weren't very loving parents. It was all about survival of the fittest. There was no time for a petty emotion such as love.  
  
After another year had passed (which makes Kurama 5), Kurama was thought strong enough to survive on his own. So, that night while the child slept, Kuro and Yura got together only the things they needed and left quietly as to not awake the slumbering kit.  
  
Kurama wakes up the next morning and sits up, rubbing his eyes. He yawns and looks out the mouth of the cave before glancing around, "Where are they...?"  
  
He thinks for a bit before smiling brightly, coming up with a solution, "They're probably hunting. I better wait here."  
  
So the naive kit waited... and waited... and continued to wait into the early hours of noon, but no one came back for him. He didn't know that his parents were not coming back and that he would be alone for the rest of his life.  
  
He walks around the cave and notices that just about everything was missing except for the necessities that he would need. His ears droop and hot tears stung his eyes, "Where did they go...? Did they... did they really leave me?"  
  
He sat down next to a cave wall and hugged his knees to him, crying silently. He stayed in that position for at least an hour before finally getting to his feet. He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and looks back out the mouth of the cave, "I need to eat..." With that said, he disappears out of the cave entrance and for the first time, he was fully alone.... 


	3. Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: Got my first review! Yayness! XO Well, I got some thoughts going on in my rather hollow head. I'm about to leave to go camping for a few days. It is now 12:06 PM on June 2nd. Not that that matters, but still... Oh, and a warning to you readers: I'm all for a Kurama & Botan relationship. They won't have an actual one in here, but I suggest you stop reading if you hate that coupling. (Now June 13- I've gotten a bad review so I'll probably get more with this chapter. -.-)

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After filling his tummy, the fox demon strolled about, exploring his domain. He sees a glint of silver in the distance and his eyes widen, "Mom?! Dad?!"  
  
He races to the object of his attention... only to find a few silver coins. He blinks and stares at them, attracted to the shiny metals. The youth takes a step closer, which was a big mistake. In the next moment, he was hanging by his ankle from a tree by a snare. He growls and flails around, trying to get it to drop him, to no avail. He stops when he sees a little girl, not much younger than him, step out from behind a tree.  
  
The girl had sky blue hair that went just past her shoulders and rosy- colored eyes. She glares up at him and points an accusing finger at him, "I knew my trap would work! You kitsunes love shiny things!"  
  
Kurama blinks, "What did I do to you?"  
  
The girl growls, "Some of your kind tried to steal from us last night and when my mommy and daddy tried to stop 'em, they killed 'em!" Tears came to her eyes, "I hate you!"  
  
His eyes widen, "So you don't have any parents either?"  
  
It was her turn to have widened eyes as she looked up at him, "What do you mean?"  
  
He frowns, "My parents were gone when I woke up this morning. They left me."  
  
She eyes him suspiciously, "You're probably pulling one over on me! You fox demons are tricky!"  
  
Kurama stays silent for a moment before speaking. "Trust me. I'm not like anyone else here... at least I don't think so." Truth was, he never really met other demons, but as far as he knew, he acted differently than any of them.  
  
She eyes him suspiciously again before sighing, "I guess I'll let ya go then. It's nothin' if I die now...." She undoes the trap and closes her eyes, trembling.  
  
He unties the rope from around his ankle and looks at her, "Hey... I'm not gonna kill you. Why would I?"  
  
She opens an eye and looks at him, "You're not?"  
  
Kurama shakes his head, "It's not like you're really trying to hurt me or anything. You're not a 'threat'..."  
  
The girl fumes, "Not a THREAT?!?!?! Why I oughta...." She blinks and freezes, "Wait... what's a threat?"  
  
He nearly facefaults at this and she just stares at him expectantly. He couldn't help but laugh, causing her temper to rise again, "What's so funny SHORTY?!?!"  
  
He blinks, looking down at her, "Uh... you're shorter than me."  
  
Her face falls and she realizes that she only reached to his shoulders. She looks down, blushing from embarrassment, "Right..."  
  
"What's your name?" he asks.  
  
She looks up at him, "Botan... yours?"  
  
He smiles a bit, "Kurama." He glances off to the side and watches as a mother bird lands in her nest full of eggs, "Hey, since you don't have any parents and I don't have any parents, maybe we can stick together."  
  
She blinks, "You mean... I can stay with you?"  
  
He shrugs, "I don't see why not. I could use some company."  
  
Her eyes light up and she runs up and hugs him without warning, "Thank you!"  
  
The kitsune blushes lightly from her actions, "Don't do that."  
  
She jumps back, "Ok, sorry."  
  
He turns around, "Follow me back to my home."  
  
The bluenette nods and follows the fox demon, making sure to collect her silver coins first. It was all the money that the girl had left in the world. She smiles a bit since now, she possibly had a home.... 


	4. Sickening Shroom

KopyKat: I would like to reply to one of my reviews. Yes, I know that fox demons don't act like how Kurama's acting. But think, he's only a child. In the anime InuYasha, InuYasha wasn't always the badass that he is now. When he was a little kid, he was sweet & shy, totally opposite to how he is now. Youko will eventually become cold & by the end of this fic, I will give a reason for him to be cold.

Botan plops down on what seemed like a chair and glances around at her surroundings, interested. This was the first time that she was inside of a demon's lair, or in this case, a den. If it weren't for the fact that this particular demon was nice, she would either be terrified, or be dead. She opens her mouth to say something, but her stomach seems to do her talking for her. She blushes and smiles nervously, "Uh... it looks like I'm hungry..."

He looks at her, his fox ears twitching, "Well, go out hunting. You CAN hunt, can't you?" The girl's silence was convincing and he sighs, "Can't you humans do ANYTHING?" Silence again. He stares at her dully, his ears flattened slightly, "Fine, I'm getting hungry too anyway. Do you like rabbit or deer? There's also fish, but I don't feel like getting wet."

She clasps her hands together, "Rabbit sounds great!"

He walks towards the mouth of the cave, "While I'm gone, start a fire." He looks at her over his shoulder, "You CAN do that, can't you?" She nods, much to his relief. The kit leaves to do some hunting, "Good, 'cause I can't."

The bluenette watches him leave before setting to making a fire, "I hope I don't get him angry at me. He seems really nice, for a demon 'n all." She tries to create a spark from two flint rocks and manages to do so, creating a small flame. She feeds the fire and soon, there was a roaring fire.

The girl grins, proud of her accomplishment, "If only mommy and daddy could see! I started my first fire! My first... fire..." Her grin quickly diminishes as memories of her parents rise to her consciousness again. She frowns, her eyes watering.

Kurama carries two rabbits along with some mushrooms he found back to the cave and froze at the entrance, his eyes resting on Botan. She looked like she would break down any moment. A frown tugs at the corners of his mouth as he enters, his ears drooping slightly. He felt guilty for this new girl, though he was experiencing some of this pain himself. Humans were much more emotional creatures than demons like him.

She seems to spring to life when she sees him enter and she puts on one of her bright smiles, "Oh, hiya! See? I can make a fire!"

Two tears slide down her cheeks and his eyes widen slightly upon seeing them. She quickly wipes them away, still trying to smile, "It's silly... I just can't stop cryin'..."

He sets the food down before looking at her again, "It's not silly... you can cry. Your parents were killed..."

He turns away from her and walks over to a wall, where three long charred sticks rested. His brows furrowed and he frowns, remembering his own parents. He reaches out to grab a stick before he heard soft sobbing behind him. He winces before grabbing two sticks and going back over to the fire. He dared not look at the girl as he skins the two rabbits and puts them on the sticks.

He finally looks over at her, handing her a 'rabbit-on-a-stick', "Here's your rabbit, you'll have to cook it."

She nods, taking it and holding it over the fire, staying completely silent. She stares at the fire blankly, her eyes lifeless and her lips curved in a small frown.

The two cook their rabbits and begin eating, Botan still continuing to remain silent. Finally, Kurama decides to break the silence, "I'm sorry if this isn't as good as you're used to, but it's the best I can do."

She snaps out of it and looks at him, smiling, "Oh no, it's good."

He gives a slight nod before eating more of his rabbit, "We should go to bed after this." He looks down, a light blush on his cheeks, "Maybe I can teach you how to hunt tomorrow..."

Her eyes light up, "Really!"

He nods, still blushing, "Yes..."

She smiles brightly, "Thanks! And I'll teach you how to make a fire!"

She notices the mushrooms, "Oh, I love mushrooms! Those are good to eat right?"

The kit nods, "I was taught about mushrooms, so I'm pretty sure those are the good kind."

She picks one up, "I like the way this one looks." She cooks the mushroom over the fire for a bit before eating it. She smiles, "It tasted good..."

He smiles a bit and shakes his head, "Whatever..."

However, a few minutes later, Botan's face became flushed and her cheeks became pink with fever. Her eyelids slowly begin to droop, "I don't feel too good..."

Kurama looks at her and his eyes widen when she sways and collapses. He moved to her side and felt her forehead, feeling a high fever. The young demon began to worry. He had never been taught how to deal with illness nor food poisoning. He narrows his eyes, "It was that mushroom..."

The youth bows his head a bit, gritting his teeth. It was HIS fault, his ignorance that put her in this condition. He would have to do what he could to make her feel better. He began thinking of anything he could do, "Her head is hot. Maybe I should get something cold."

He ran out, clutching an old rag in his hand then sprinted to the nearest source of water: a small lake. He dips the rag in the cold water and immediately runs back to the cave. The boy lays the cloth on her forehead, hoping that it may help a little, "Botan, I'm sorry for this. I'm going to try 'n make you feel better."

Botan groans softly as a response, looking at him through slitted eyes. She cringes suddenly, her eyes shut tightly as if in pain, "My tummy hurts..."

His ears flatten against his skull. He definitely didn't know how to deal with stomachaches. He lets out a sigh of defeat, "Get some sleep... maybe you'll feel better when you wake up..."

She lets out a weak nod, closing her eyes completely. After about half of an hour, she had fallen asleep, though she was tossing and turning in slumber.

The kit watches her, feeling a pang of guilt. He gets an idea of how to make her more comfortable, though it would be slightly embarrassing to him. Then he thought of how sad she was about her parents' murder and how it was his fault that she digested a poisonous mushroom.

He makes the decision and within the next few moments, a fox cub replaced the demon. He lies down next to her and cuddles with her a bit, closing his eyes. This was degrading. A fox demon stooping so low as to sleep next to a human... but those thoughts slip from his mind when she turns on her side, facing him, and wraps her arms around him in her sleep. She seems to calm down immensely and her face relaxes.

He looks at her before closing his eyes. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't all that degrading. She was at least comfortable... and that's all that mattered to him right now. He lets out a sigh before falling asleep, somewhat content cuddled in her arms...


	5. Botan's Hunting Lesson

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: I'm trying to make them act like typical 4 & 5 year olds. Youko Kurama is also supposed to have slightly advanced intelligence than your normal 5 year old. His parents didn't 'baby talk' him, so he more than likely has a more sophisticated language than other 5-yr.olds that are human. I admit that I'm probably making Botan a little too mature, but I've been pretty much sticking to the type of vocabulary I had when I was that age. I remember something from kindergarten where some lady brought in her 'invisible alligator'. While most of the class believed it, I was smart enough not to (though that does not imply that I'm even CLOSE to intelligent now =X.x=). Anywayz, on with the fic...

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Botan was immobile for the next 2 days, so Kurama had to 'mother' her during that time, which was a foreign concept to him. He just did what felt right: put cool things on her head, try to keep her fed and watered (though she sometimes couldn't keep things down), and to top it all off, a blanket that belonged to him just in case she was cold. He was relieved when her condition began to improve on the 2nd day, partially because he felt guilty, partially because she was his new friend.  
  
The kit didn't sleep next to her that night since she seemed to be doing better. Before going to sleep, he hoped that she would be back to normal soon. It was hard taking care of her, and frankly he didn't like it. What normal kid his age would?  
  
He woke up the next morning and found her gone from her 'bed', if you could call it that. He gets to his feet and glances around, looking for her. She wasn't anywhere in the cave. Kurama growls, running out, "Stupid idiot!"  
  
He stops after a bit and sniffs the air, searching for any scent at all. A gentle breeze kicks in and Botan's scent came with it. Being trained in hunting, he knew that she was somewhere in the direction that the breeze had came from. He sped in that direction as fast as his legs could carry him (which isn't TOO fast, but faster than your normal 5-yr. old).  
  
The fox eventually came upon a field of flowers and saw her in the middle of it, making a flower wreath. He staggered out into the field a bit before collapsing, sending some butterflies airborne. He lies there, panting from his run.  
  
Botan sees him and trots over to him, her now finished wreath clutched in her two hands, "Kurama! Are you ok?!"  
  
Kurama raises his head and glares at her, "Dummy! Why did you run off?!"  
  
She's about to reply when a butterfly decides to land on Kurama's nose. She giggles, "You've got a butterfly on your NOSE!"  
  
Kurama looks at the butterfly cross-eyed before taking a deep breath and blows it off, also causing his bangs to rustle a bit. He looks back at her and opens his mouth to say something, but she drops the wreath on his head at that time. He blinks and looks up at the flowers, his ears swiveling a bit, "Why'd you put flowers on my head?"  
  
She smiles brightly, "My mommy and I used to do that. It's called a flower wreath."  
  
He stands up and takes it off, handing it back to her, "It's too girly for me. You keep it."  
  
She becomes all teary-eyed, "You don't like it?"  
  
He stares at her for a moment, thinking. He didn't exactly want her to cry, but he didn't want to wear a girly flower wreath on his head either. He sighs before putting it on her head, "It looks better on you."  
  
A smile appears on the girl's face again as she clasps her hands together, "Does it really?!"  
  
He smiles, "Yeah... sure it does... a LOT better than it looks on me."  
  
She cheers and hugs him, "Yay!"  
  
His eyes bulge, "Don't hug me! I don't want to be hugged by a GIRL! Eew..."  
  
She breaks away and glares at him, "Whaddya mean?! I don't have cooties!"  
  
He jumps back, "Yeah, but girls are nasty!"  
  
She growls and lunges at him, "I'll show you NASTY!"  
  
They begin roughhousing, though they weren't inside a house, so it could be thought as horseplay or quarreling. At first, it was a fight. Then it began turning into play. The two began rolling around, trying to toss their opponent away. Once one would succeed, they seem to play a game of tag before getting into another scuffle.  
  
The two tire of this after about 10 minutes and just lie on their backs in the field, staring up at the clouds. Kurama looks over at her, "You can learn how to hunt today. We can go right now."  
  
Botan grins and jumps up, "Yeah! Let's go!"  
  
Kurama leads her into the forest where they look for their prey. The first thing they found was a stag and Kurama decided to start her on that, which had to be one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made.  
  
They were stationed up in a tree when Botan leapt down, which is what he told her to do. She landed on the stag's back and it reared up, bellowing out. It began bucking, trying to throw Botan off. The poor girl just held on for her dear life as the stag ran around, kicking its rear legs up in the air, also occasionally springing up into the air. She screams, "HEEEEEELLLLP!"  
  
Kurama drops down onto the animal's back, scoops up Botan, and leaps back up into the tree. They look down at the stag begins ramming into the tree, snorting. It wasn't too happy to say the least. Kurama glances around for anything that might be of help and spots some vines climbing up a nearby tree. He smirks a bit before concentrating. The vines slid down the tree and up to the stag. They wrapped themselves around the stag's legs and moved up. Soon, the animal was ensnared and helpless.  
  
The two children drop down from the tree and the fox bends down, picking up a blade of grass. Only seconds later, he was holding what appeared to be a green dagger instead of a blade of grass. He looks over at Botan, "I want a sword, but I'm not strong enough yet."  
  
He turns back to the animal and stabs it in its heart, killing it almost instantly. Botan begins feeling extremely queasy at seeing all of the blood, "That's... ew... yucky...."  
  
He looks at her, "Deal with it. You'll see a lot of it."  
  
Kurama calls off the vines and carries the deer back to the cave, having a little help from Botan. They cook the deer over a fire that Kurama made with the help of Botan, though he still didn't quite get the hang of it.  
  
While eating some of the deer, Kurama looks over at Botan, "Looks like you'll have to hunt rabbits. They're a lot safer."  
  
Botan nods, "Yeah, I don't want to get killed!"  
  
The two turn in for the night, but neither went to sleep right away. The kit looks over at Botan in the darkness, "Botan."  
  
She looks over in his direction, "Yeah?"  
  
He smiles a bit, "You're weird... and puny...."  
  
She frowns, staying silent. By the sound of his voice, he wasn't finished talking.  
  
"... but today was a lot of fun, especially when we were playing in that field. Let's have some more fun tomorrow 'kay?" he asks.  
  
She smiles brightly, "Oh, yes! Let's have more fun!"  
  
They fall silent after that and drift off to sleep. Meanwhile, a short figure watches them from outside. They smirk before dashing off into the night. Unknown to Kurama, he would get to know that figure quite well during his life... 


	6. One Appearance, One Disappearance

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: It is June 27, 2004 & it's 4:00 in the morning. I've been awaiting this chapter & those that follow. Lately, I've been listening to M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This" & T.A.T.U.'s "All the Things She Said" repeatedly as I typed up these chapters. Just by going through & reading, you MIGHT be able to figure out just what song I was listening to by the mood of the story. But I was inspired by one of the songs somewhat. It got my heart racing when I thought about it fitting into a future part in this fic. As for this second, I've decided to be 'different' & I'm listening to Trapt's "Headstrong."  
  
Oh, and now Kurama is basically the Youko we all know & love, except a little shorter & scrawnier. And what about this 'figure'? I guarantee that it's not a made-up. Let's see who all knows who this mystery character is before the identity is revealed! Be honest.

* * *

It had been quite a few years since the unlikely meeting of Kurama and Botan. The two were in their later teens and surprisingly enough, they were still together (though not as a couple). They now lived near a town, having moved out of the cave two years before.  
  
Youko, as called by other demons, had grown a little taller than 6 feet tall by this time, though he wasn't quite finished growing yet. Recently, he bought a white tunic with the money he swiped. He was an accomplished thief & much more experienced with plant life. His features were sharper than they were when he was a child and his amber-colored eyes sent chills down almost anyone's spines, especially when he glared. Actually, one of the only people that can get a smile (not a smirk) out of him is none other than Botan.  
  
As for Botan, she had grown to a height between 5 and 6 feet, possibly in the dead middle of the two numbers. Her pale blue hair would normally fall around her shoulder blades, if she hadn't kept it in a ponytail. Unlike the calm Youko, Botan had a cheery attitude and was the most colorful out of the two. Quite the contrast of the thieving fox demon.  
  
While walking through the demon-filled town, Botan looks over (and up) at Youko, "What are we out here for again?"  
  
He looks down at her, "Would you like to starve? We're trying to find some food."  
  
She bops her head, smiling brightly, "Oh yeah, sorry. I kinda forgot..."  
  
Youko smiles and shakes his head, "Really Botan, how absentminded can one be?"  
  
She looks down, blushing from embarrassment, "Well... extremely absentminded in my case."  
  
The fox demon sighs, "I was only teasing, don't go putting yourself down."  
  
She brightens up immediately, "Ok!"  
  
Youko looks ahead and narrows his eyes when he sees a small group of low- class demons staring at both Botan and himself. The demons immediately scamper away, not liking the look Youko was giving them. He felt that he couldn't trust any of the demons around here, especially when it came to Botan. That's why he rarely liked to leave Botan anywhere alone. Demons and humans just didn't belong together. Botan and himself are a special case however. These lowlifes would do something.  
  
He growls, "Filthy demon scum..."  
  
Botan blinks and looks up at him, "Kurama...? Something wrong?"  
  
He looks at her, giving a small smile, "Nothing. A demon just looked at me funny.. or it could've been you. You look pretty funny yourself." His smile becomes a playful smirk when she shoves him, a mock-angry expression on her face.  
  
The same figure from that one night years ago watches them from one of the rooftops. He (revealed gender!) had been watching over them for some time now, especially the fox demon. Some other demons caught his eye. They were following Youko and Botan from a safe distance. He narrows his eyes; the figure knew of them and their intentions. He also knew that it wouldn't be pretty. He had to meet this Youko Kurama and tell him, though it might not be in his best interest. After all, that human girl wasn't important to his plan. He drops down from the roof, almost gliding to the ground, before following Youko.  
  
"Botan," Youko starts, glancing over at a tavern.  
  
She looks over at him, having been eyeing some neat little trinkets, "Yes?"  
  
"Up for a little drink?" he asks, turning back to her.  
  
She blinks, a confused expression on her face, "But what about the food? We haven't gotten any yet..."  
  
He smiles a bit, "We can get it after. Besides, then we don't have to lug it around as long."  
  
She sighs before nodding, "Alrighty then, let's go. But no getting drunk, PLEASE don't get drunk."  
  
They enter the tavern, immediately becoming the center of attention. There were all sorts of demons there, though most were low-class. Botan made sure to stay close to Youko, especially when some demons were giving her malicious looks. They sat at the bar and ordered their drinks.  
  
Botan glances behind her when some other demons entered. She rolled her shoulders, a chill going down her spine. She had a bad feeling about something, but she couldn't explain what. Then, something else caught her eye. She glances over a couple seats down and saw a little human girl sitting there, though no demons took notice of her. She also noticed that there was something 'otherworldly' about the girl and decided to ask Youko about it, "Hey, Kurama..."  
  
He looks over at her, "Yes Botan?"  
  
She points to the girl, "See that girl?"  
  
He looks where she's pointing, but sees nothing, "No, I'm afraid that I don't..." He looks back at her, slightly concerned, "Are you feeling alright...?"  
  
Her eyes widen. How could he not see her?! She was sitting RIGHT THERE! The bluenette turns to look at the girl, but finds her gone. She stares at where the girl once was, confused. She seemed real enough. She sighs, "I don't know, maybe I AM losing it..."  
  
For once, Youko wasn't to make a joke about it. He stays completely silent until they are given their drinks. He offers her a smile, "Drink up... you need to loosen up a bit it seems...."  
  
She smiles in return, picking up her glass, "I guess so, cheers then!"  
  
They both tip their glasses up and chug it like old pros. Botan coughs after finishing, nearly falling off of her bar stool. She chuckles a bit, "That stuff was a little strong..."  
  
He flicks his tail while looking at her, "Don't tell me you're drunk from that one beverage."  
  
She shakes her head, "No, of course not! I just said that it was a little strong." She glances over to the side and sees the girl again. Her face pales before she slides off of her stool, "I'm going to go to the ladies room, excuse me."  
  
The kitsune watches as she leaves, noticing that she seemed a little paler than normal. He sighs before facing forward, resting his chin in one of his hands. He narrows his eyes slightly when a demon takes a seat next to him, but he pretends to ignore him.  
  
The demon orders a drink before looking over at Youko, "Greetings Youko... or should I call you Kurama?"  
  
The fox demon raises his head and looks at the demon, glaring lightly, "Who are you?"  
  
The stranger smiles, "You're quite rude. You're demanding to know my name before you even introduce yourself."  
  
Youko growls a bit, "It's not considered rude if you already know my name. Now, tell me, who are you?"  
  
The demon tips his hat a bit, "The name's Kuronue, a fellow thief. Pleased to meet you."  
  
Youko's scowl remained on his face, "The pleasure's all yours."  
  
Kuronue's smile disappears, "You are such a rude individual. Oh well, there are much more important matters to discuss. For example, that human female you were with is in danger. You should not have even let her out of your sight."  
  
Youko's eyes widen for a second before narrowing, "What do you know about it? Are you planning on hurting her?" His tone was a little harsher than normal, showing that he was perturbed.  
  
The raven demon frowns, slowly shaking his head, "Not I. Some other demons wish to harm her though."  
  
The kitsune growls, "Give me ONE reason why I should trust you."  
  
Kuronue shrugs, "Give me a good reason why you shouldn't. You have nothing to lose by checking up on her, do you?"  
  
Youko stays completely silent and still for a moment before jumping out of his seat and heading towards the restrooms, Kuronue following.  
  
The fox demon reaches the door to the 'ladies room' and is about to enter when a familiar scent reaches his nose. But the scent led away from the restroom and down the hallway, which also led to a back alleyway. He sped towards the door that opened to the alleyway and flung it open. He cringes when he sees droplets of blood on the ground and balls his hands into fists, realizing that it was Botan's blood from the scent.  
  
Kuronue comes up behind him and looks down, also spotting the blood, "You know, you might want to hurry if you want to save your mate. If she's not dead already, she's going to be soon."  
  
Youko glares back at him before running, "She's a friend, not a mate."  
  
Kuronue watches him before quickly following him, frowning slightly. "She's close enough... especially since you're so intent on getting her back safely," he mutters to himself.  
  
Youko didn't even notice Kuronue tailing him as he ran, following the trail of blood. He narrows his eyes, wincing, "I hope that I'm not too late..." 


	7. Failure & New Lives

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: -is listening to "All the Things She Said" as she types this chapter- This song partially inspired this part of the fic. I was going to have something happen to Botan, but now I have this music playing in my head as I think about Youko running & searching for her. It's mainly when they sing, "All the things she said, all the things she said, running through my head, running through my head, running through my head." Anywayz, time to end that cliffhanger!  
  
((I usually listen to T.A.T.U. during dramatic moments & M.C. Hammer during fighting. Not that it's important...)) ((NOTE-I thought that I put this up this morning before I went to bed. I went to bed at 6:00 AM. Well, sorry that it's a day late, but here it is!))

* * *

Youko runs through the dark alleyways, following her trail of blood and her scent. He glances around, his eyes widened a bit from panic. A memory flashes through his head about the last time a demon had attempted to attack her. He was able to protect her, though she still got a small gash on one of her arms. There was blood that time too and he fussed over it a little. She just laughed and told him to stop worrying and that it would take more than that to hurt her, also calling him a worrywart.  
  
He wasn't normally the type to show fear, unless it came to her. She was the only person that mattered to him, of course, she was the only person he really knew. All the more reason he wanted her around.  
  
Other fond memories with her arise in his mind. It was strange... he remembers people saying that your life flashes through your eyes before you die, but they never said anything about having your life flashing through your eyes before a close friend dies. He also wonders if Botan's life was flashing through her eyes too, though he feared that.  
  
Youko reaches a door, finding that the trail lead to it. He grabs the handle with a clawed hand, turns it, and thrusts it open, making it crash into the wall. He enters and glares around, the scent of Botan's blood heavy in the air. His jaw tightens before a low growl escapes him, his ears flicking back. He was definitely not a happy fox demon now.  
  
He spots a hatch on the floor and hastily makes his way to it. He pulls it open and peers inside to see a staircase. The scent of blood became stronger and he growls, his muscles tightening. The demon quickly descends the staircase, nearly leaping straight to the bottom from anxiousness. Upon reaching the bottom, Youko looks for any sign of the demons or Botan. He spots the demons almost immediately, but where was Botan?  
  
Youko growls, "Where is she? I know you have her in this room somewhere... I can smell her blood."  
  
One of the demons takes a step forward, "Why are you involved with a human anyway?"  
  
The fox demon glares at him harshly, "None of your business. Answer my question: Where is she?"  
  
The demon steps aside and Youko could see Botan's body lying on the floor behind them. What scared him is that she wasn't moving and with her back to him, he couldn't see her face.  
  
The fur on his tail fluffs out a bit as the demon steps back in front of her. Youko glares at him harshly, baring his teeth, "You BASTARDS!!!"  
  
The demon smirks, "You'll have to fight us before you get her. She's your prize. I doubt that you're even strong enough to save the girl-!" He's abruptly shut up by a kick in the face.  
  
Youko blinks, having only seen a black blur strike the demon. His eyes widen slightly when he sees who it is, "Kuronue?"  
  
Kuronue glares at the demon, "Shut your mouth already. You talk too much." He glances over at Youko, "Stop staring and start fighting, or would you rather your little friend die?"  
  
A renewed rage bubbles up inside of the kitsune as he pulls a seed from his hair. He transfers some of his you-ki into the seed and it sprouts, wrapping itself around his arm. Branches grow from it and on each branch was a mouth full of sharp teeth, which dripped acidic saliva. The name of this plant? The Death Tree. He looks over at Kuronue, "I wouldn't move. These mouths go after whatever moves."  
  
Kuronue nods and stays completely silent and still, watching the plant.  
  
The plant's mouths slowly inch towards their prey, drops of saliva dripping from their jaws and steaming upon hitting the floor, making small holes. The demons try to run away, but the plant catches them and eats their flesh as it melts off of them. The plant finishes quickly and withers when Youko cuts off his you-ki supply.  
  
Youko surveys the rather gory scene for a short moment before running over to Botan, immediately falling to his knees, skidding a bit. He turns her to face him and his heart stops, "No... Botan...."  
  
Upon touching her skin, he knew that something was wrong but it was her face that convinced him. Her skin was cold and pale. She was not breathing. Her heart, not beating.... He stares into her eyes, his breath caught in his throat. Her eyes, which had always shone with life and happiness, were now lifeless and dull.  
  
He just stares at her, trembling, "She's dead... she can't be..." He bows his head a little, his eyes wide and his mouth gaped. It seemed that he died with her, or his happiness anyway.  
  
He reaches down and gently takes her hand into his, caressing it. He lightly runs his thumb over the back of her hand tenderly, his eyes filling with tears. The denial of her death had ended and the realization hit him hard. He would be alone from now on... the idea of it seemed so strange and foreign to him now. That's how big of an impact Botan had made on his life. To think about how he would be like if he hadn't met her... it almost made his blood run cold. Her death had left him broken.  
  
Kuronue watches, almost feeling pity. Almost. He sighs, "You're crying over her like she was your mate."  
  
Youko glances back at him before looking back down at her, wincing, "She... she was a very close friend...." He closes his eyes as the tears begin to fall, "I failed her... I promised her that I would protect her when we moved here... but now she lies here... dead... I failed...."  
  
"No, you haven't."  
  
Youko freezes and turns around, seeing what looked like a baby (not a toddler yet) floating in the air. Another woman floated next to him, seated on an oar. His tear-filled eyes widen a bit, "Who are you?"  
  
Kuronue stares at the strange newcomer, also wondering the same thing. It was not everyday that you see a floating baby that can talk.  
  
The baby seems to smile, though it was hard to tell with the pacifier in his mouth, "Howdy, the name's Koenma. I'm from Reikai, or rather the Spirit World. I'm one of the –ahem- most powerful individuals there, second only to my father. I've come for a very special reason. Botan is a very special girl because of her abnormally high sixth sense. In other words, she can see ghosts."  
  
Youko seems stunned, "So that's why... she claimed to see a girl sitting at the bar. The girl was a ghost...!" He looks down, ashamed, "And yet I said that she was probably only seeing things. I owe her an apology, but it's too late now."  
  
Koenma shakes his index finger, "It's not too late. Her soul is still here and she wants to talk to you."  
  
The kitsune's eyes widen when he sees a Botan fade into view in front of him, "Botan..."  
  
Botan kneels down, "Kurama, you haven't failed. You tried your best and my death was unexpected. Besides..." She smiles, "It's not like you could've followed me into the ladies room anyway right?"  
  
This receives a weak smile out of the fox demon, "Guess not... but about the girl-!"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I thought I was going crazy too," she interrupts, still smiling.  
  
Koenma looks at his watch, "Botan, we need to get going. You need to be trained on how to be a ferrygirl."  
  
Youko blinks, "A ferrygirl?"  
  
Koenma nods, "A ferrygirl ferries souls to Reikai where they await the trial that determines which 'way' they go."  
  
Botan also seems shocked at first, but she recovers and smiles brightly, "Wow, quite an important job if I do say so myself!" She looks at Youko, "I'll make sure that I ferry your soul, when it comes time to."  
  
Youko smiles, "I would be honored, if you did."  
  
Koenma frowns, "At this time, I would like to mention something. I am going to erase both of your memories of each other, along with anyone else who has seen you two together. It's for the best I assure you."  
  
Youko and Botan look at him, panicked, "WHAT?!?!"  
  
Koenma sighs, "It's a rule I'm afraid. The inhabitants of Reikai and the demons of Makai are fierce enemies. They are not to interact with each other, especially in your case as friends. That could put unneeded strain on the both of you." He smiles cheerily, "But I'm sure that you two will meet again someday under different circumstances. By that time, things should be safer."  
  
Botan frowns and sighs, "Looks like this is goodbye, at least for awhile..." She smiled, but she felt like crying on the inside.  
  
Youko, knowing Botan all-too-well, knew that her smile was just a mask. He also smiles and nods, his being mask as well, "I suppose so... I just wish things hadn't turned out this way..." His smile falters slightly.  
  
She nods before floating up into the air, floating next to the ferrygirl. She smiles sadly and waves at Youko, who gave a small wave back. She disappears with the ferrygirl.  
  
Koenma looks from where the girls had been before looking at Youko, smiling, "I have a feeling that I'm going to be seeing you again, under different circumstances. Now, to erase everyone's memory. Your memory will be wiped clean as soon as I leave." He waves, "Well, I guess I'll probably be seeing you later. Don't get into TOO much mischief!" He disappears.  
  
Youko struggles to cling to his memories of Botan, but they slip away despite his attempts. He blinks suddenly and glances around, "Where the hell am I?" He looks at Kuronue, "And who are you?" His eyes narrow slightly.  
  
Kuronue smiles, "The name's Kuronue. To tell you the truth, I don't even know why I'm down here either. But, I've heard of your skills as a thief, also as a fighter. I want to know if you want an alliance."  
  
Youko stands up, eyeing him, "An alliance? Why should I ally myself with you?"  
  
Kuronue smirks, "Because my friend, I know all of the best places to plunder. Though, it would take two people to break in and get the valuables out. We would be the most feared thieves in all of Makai and the most famous. Now, what is your answer?"  
  
Youko thinks it over a bit before smirking, having changed without having Botan's influence over him, "Very well then...."  
  
The raven demon holds out his hand, "Partners?"  
  
Youko grips his hand firmly, shaking it, "Partners."  
  
Kuronue smiles, "Let's go then. I'll buy you a drink." He begins walking towards the door.  
  
Youko begins to walk before glancing behind him, furrowing his brows. He oddly felt like he lost something or someone, but he couldn't figure out what. The room had a familiar scent to it, causing an uneasy feeling to sweep over him. He sighs before shaking his head, following Kuronue.  
  
From this day forward, Youko and Kuronue were partners in crime and became legendary thieves, Youko's legend the most famous by far. Botan became one of the most accomplished ferrygirls and one of Koenma's favorites as well. These two became legends in different ways, though each still wonders exactly what was missing. Hopefully Fate shall act kindly towards them so they will meet again, one day... under different circumstances....  
  
END (or is it?)  
  
KopyKat: Wow, I'm actually finished this fic! –dances around- =o= Well, it's been fun. I hope everyone enjoyed this fic because I sure did. Though, I have been working on this one chapter at least 9 hours now. =X.x= Don't know how I did it either... 


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